Lumber-drier



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheetfi. i

LAFAYETTE ROLLINS, LUMBER DRIER.

No. 295,284; Patented Mar. 18, 1884.

WITNESSES: INVENTOR;

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N, MYERS. mlwum mr. Wshinglnn. D. c.

ilurrnn Srarns EPAr-Eivr Guides,

LAFAYETTE ROLLINS OF MOUNTAIN GREEK, ASSIGKOR TO HIMSELF AND OTTO STQELKER, OF HONTGOlVIERY, ALABAMA.

LUMBER-DRIER.

SPECIFIGATIGN forming part of Letters Patent No, 295,284, dated March 18, 188%.

Application filed May 14, use. (X model.)

f0 66% whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, LAFAYETTE RoLLINs,

of Mountain Creek, of the county of Chilton and State of Alabama, have invented a new and Improved Drying-Kiln, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My improvements relate to drying hilns or houses for lumber; and the invention kronsists in certain novel features of construction, havro ing the object to provide for the convenient handling of lumber and the entire removal of the sap, as herein described and claimed.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming apart of this specification,

IS in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding. parts in all the figures.

Figure l is a sectional plan view of the kiln. Fig. :2- is a transverse section of the same. Figs. 3, 4:, and 5 are detail views.

The house A is constructed of brick or other suitable material, of considerable length and suitable width. At one end is an extension containing a furnace, B, and boiler G, the furnace being of ordinary construction and the boiler of the ordinary cylindrical form, placed horizontallyandwithoutflue-pipes. The fire space of the furnace extends beneath the boiler G and communicates with pipes a a, that extend from the front wall of the house A length wise to the rear of the house, where they are connected to the chimney 5. These pipes preferably extend at the bottom or floor of the house, so as to be beneath the tracks over which the lumber is moved. From the boiler a pipe, 0, extends into the house A, and has branches for discharging steam into the house. Ateach end of the house, and at opposite sides, are doors D D, hung on sheaves, so that they may be readily closed and opened. 0 the end. of the house next the boiler a track, composed of rails 11 d, extends through upon the level of the iloor, the ends of the track extending outside the house, soasto receive cars, upon which the lumber is loaded. At the rear end of the house is a. similar track, composed of rails e c, and these two tracks are connected within the house by longitudinal traclzsff, composed of sleepers elevated at a suitable height and provided at intervals with AtI sheaves g g, as shown most clearly in Fig. 4. The two tracks are also connected at one side of the building by similar tracks, 7t 7t. The house is divided lengthwise into two sections by means of a movable curtain, i, that may be fitted for being raised and lowered, so as to al- 5 5 low the cars that are loaded with the lumber to be transferred from one end of the house to the other. The object of this curtain is to formtwo chambers, in one of which the lumber is steamed, and is then transferred to the 6c other end of the house for the final drying.

For the purpose of handling the lumber conveniently, I use ordinary lumber-trucks, (shown at 75,) which run up on the rails d d and c c. Tl1elumber,asitis sawed, is piled upon sills 7c 7a, which are grooved to run on the tracks or ways h h, and from them the sills, loaded with lumber, are transferred to a car upon the rails (Z. hen the car is loaded, it is run into the forward end of thehouse, and the doors being then closed, steam is allowed to enter by the pipes 0, and the lumber is left to be steamed for from about eight to twelve hours. The effect of this steaming operation is to expand the lumber and draw the sap to the surface. 7 5 The sills k are then transferred to the rails g, and then pushed into the rear portion of the house, where the lumber is subjected to the dry heat from the pipes a at a temperature of about 150 Fahrenheit, which will dry the lum her in from four to ten days, according to the character or size of the lumber. After it is thoroughly dried, the sills are run upon a car on rails e and carried out of the house. The building is to be thoroughly scaled, so as to make it airtight and to prevent escape of the steam and hot air.

The advantages of this kiln are its simple construction, the rapidity with which the lumber can be dried, and the fact that there is no danger of fire, as the furnace is entirely at the outside of the house. Further, the lumber can be readily handled from the time it leaves the saw until it reaches the planing-mill in a dry condition, but one loading of the lumber 5 being required, as specified.

The sills and trucks serve as convenient means for transfer of the lumber without handling, and the trucks may be provided with rollers, as shown in Fig. l, for the sills to slide up on.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters 5 Patent 1. Thehouse A, provided at one end with the projection B, containing a furnace and boiler, and at the other with a chimneyfl), in combination with the heating-pipes a, extending IO longitudinally through the house from the furnace to the chimney, substantially as herein shown and described, whereby the furnace is entirely outside of the house, and consequently all danger of fire is avoided, as set forth.

2. The combination, with the house A, provided with the projection 13, containing the furnace, the longitudinal heating-pipes a, and the steam-pipes c, of the curtain or partition i, substantially as herein shown and described, whereby provision is made for dividing the house into steaming and drying compartments,

as set forth.

8. The combination, with the house A, provided at one end with the extension B, oontaining a furnace and boiler, and at the other with the chimney b, and the steam and hotair pipes a c, of the tracks d c, passing transversely through the house at opposite ends thereof and on a level with the floor of the same, and the elevated tracks 6 h, arranged, respectively, within and without the house, substantially as herein shown and described.

LAFAYETTE ROLLINS Vitnesses JOHN WV. GULLAHORN, EUGENE F. SARTOR. 

